Speak about a daring assertion.
Kia’s third electrical car (EV) in Australia is that this, the EV9.
Launched late in 2023 to affix the smaller Niro and EV6, the EV9 is an electrical SUV with a Toyota LandCruiser-sized physique and a giant value… at the very least for a Kia.
We’ve beforehand examined the mid-range Earth and top-spec GT-Line and are available away largely impressed, however is it really this entry-level Air that makes probably the most sense?
The Air often is the most inexpensive member of the Kia EV9 household, however that is nonetheless value greater than $100,000 drive-away.
That’s some huge cash irrespective of the badge on the nostril, though the EV9 nonetheless has primarily no direct competitors – it’s one in every of simply 5 autos on sale in Australia in the present day to supply an electrical powertrain and three rows of seating.
The others are the significantly smaller Mercedes-Benz EQB, the significantly costlier EQS SUV, and two individuals movers: the LDV MIFA 9 and Mercedes-Benz EQV.
How does the Kia EV9 examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Kia EV9 towards equally sized autos.
Kia
EV9
How a lot does the Kia EV9 Air value?
There are three members of the EV9 household, with the Air being the one one with out all-wheel drive… and the one one to slip underneath $100,000 earlier than on-road prices.
To see how the Kia EV9 strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
What’s the Kia EV9 Air like on the within?
In case you thought the skateboard design of the EV9’s E-GMP structure would imply class-leading house effectivity, you’d be mistaken.
The third row doesn’t really feel as spacious as in a Hyundai Palisade, and also you’ll want to slip the second-row seats ahead to suit adults again right here. With the second row in its standard place, my knees have been pressed firmly towards their backs after I sat within the third row.
A minimum of headroom is sweet, and there are many facilities – roof-mounted air vents, a pair of USB-C shops, and cupholders. Just like the second row, it additionally reclines.
Regardless of this considerably disappointing third row house, boot house behind the third row is 333L – tremendous for a three-row crossover, however not distinctive. Drop the third row and this expands to 828L, after which drop this and it expands to 2318L.
What the devoted EV structure does carry is a very flat flooring for the second row, which presents an abundance of legroom and headroom.
There are USB-C shops on the entrance seatbacks, cupholders within the fold-down centre armrest, and air vents within the B-pillars, whereas there’s a cavernous (if darkish) storage space on the rear of the centre console.
There are even controls on the aspect of the entrance passenger seat to permit second-row occupants to maneuver it ahead and backwards.
There are three prime tether and two ISOFIX anchor factors for baby seats within the second row, plus prime tether and ISOFIX factors for the 2 rearmost seats. The latter isn’t one thing each giant SUV can boast.
The EV9 doesn’t appear like every other Kia inside. The usage of smooth-grained, soft-touch plastics is harking back to the associated Hyundai Ioniq 5. Whereas this implies it doesn’t look low-cost, the EV9 additionally doesn’t look significantly luxe for one thing costing this a lot.
We’d additionally prefer to see some soft-touch trim for the edges of the centre console, the place your knees make contact.
The dashboard is straightforward, with minimal bodily switchgear. This features a row of bodily buttons for capabilities just like the local weather management, in addition to a metallic curler wheel for audio quantity.
There’s a split-level centre console, with a floating, high-mounted part that includes cupholders and a handful of switches, in addition to a bit successfully at flooring stage which is one large shelf with a rubberised floor.
The one factor that might make this higher is that if the centre console may slide again to permit occupants to cross from one aspect of the car to the opposite, à la the pre-update Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Materials selections are typically good, such because the gray cloth headliner, dashboard garnish and metal-look accents, however the Air feels extra austere than pricier EV9s with its grey-on-grey color scheme and lack of vibrant ambient lighting.
There are some neat particulars nevertheless, just like the subtly patterned trim stretching throughout the sprint that includes touch-capacitive shortcut buttons for capabilities just like the satellite tv for pc navigation, which characteristic haptic suggestions.
It might lack options like ambient lighting, a head-up show and twin sunroofs, however the Air’s inside remains to be properly outfitted. You get heated and ventilated entrance seats and a heated steering wheel, whereas the display screen setup is equivalent to costlier EV9s.
That includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, with a 5.0-inch local weather management touchscreen between them.
The local weather display screen is in an ungainly spot, blocked by the steering wheel rim. Whereas the digital instrument cluster has neat graphics, the completely different themes all look just about the identical and there’s no map view accessible.
The infotainment system is extra spectacular, although we’re stunned you continue to want a cable to hook up with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The graphics are enticing, response occasions fast, and menus intuitive.
There’s loads of storage, headlined by a cavernous glovebox and an expansive shelf beneath the centre console. The flipside is the centre console bin is kind of small, and we’d commerce somewhat uncovered storage for extra hid storage.
Two cupholders within the centre console could be retracted to kind a extra open storage space. Alternatively, you possibly can conceal them beneath a curler cowl.
There’s an illuminated 90L space for storing underneath the bonnet, 38L bigger than different EV9s as a result of absence of a entrance electrical motor. It’s rated to hold 40kg, and contains an adjunct web.
We’re disillusioned there’s no spare tyre, with solely a tyre mobility package, however we’re delighted there’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality so you possibly can, for instance, use the automotive to cost your laptop computer.
To see how the Kia EV9 strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
What’s underneath the bonnet?
Kia doesn’t specify the utmost DC cost charge for the EV9, however says it can take 20 minutes to cost from 10 to 80 per cent on a 350kW charger. On a 50kW charger, it’ll take 63 minutes.
To see how the Kia EV9 strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
How does the Kia EV9 Air drive?
You may positively discover the distinction in efficiency between the rear-wheel drive Air and its all-wheel drive siblings.
The place the GT-Line shoves you again in your seat, the Air is extra sedate.
There’s nonetheless loads of punch off the road – it’s an electrical car in any case. However the Air by no means feels significantly fast, one thing borne out by its 8.2-second 0-100km/h time.
Sadly, we didn’t get an opportunity to drive the EV9 with seven occupants on board to see how a lot this additional weight would stifle efficiency.
Nonetheless, it’s already a heavy beast – tare weight is 2312kg, with the battery alone weighing 463.3kg.
Given the GT-Line rides on large 21-inch alloy wheels, we have been anticipating the Air to really feel fairly completely different by way of journey high quality because it rides on 19s.
We didn’t have any complaints concerning the journey within the GT-Line, however the presence of smaller wheels would recommend the Air would possibly really feel considerably extra pliant.
In actuality, nevertheless, there’s little distinction in journey high quality between the 2. There’s nonetheless good physique management and a powerful lack of influence harshness. You’ll hear muffled thumps over bumps and ruts, however the journey isn’t upset by them.
Solely if you get onto an unsealed street does it really feel a bit extra terse, however general it’s nonetheless comfy. Kia engineers have carried out a wonderful job right here, particularly contemplating there’s no adaptive or air suspension on any EV9.
Additionally spectacular is the extent of refinement. The cabin is beautiful and quiet, proving properly insulated from street noise even throughout coarse-chip surfaces.
This may be the dimensions of a LandCruiser and weigh over two tonnes, however the EV9 is impressively nimble. The steering has a pleasant, progressive weighting to it, and the EV9 feels a lot smaller than its dimensions recommend.
There’s a one-pedal drive mode that may carry the car to a whole cease when you let off the accelerator, nevertheless it’s not probably the most aggressive system round. It additionally needs to be re-activated every time you begin the car, although that is carried out with a easy flick of a shift paddle.
The Air has the bottom vary (however biggest power effectivity) of any EV9. We noticed power consumption of 20-22kWh/100km within the GT-Line, however the Air was round 17-18kWh/100km.
By way of the motive force help techniques, the motive force consideration monitoring proved typically correct at detecting after I appeared away, whereas the lane assist techniques are among the many most proficient but additionally probably the most assertive on the market.
The overspeed alert is annoying and defaults to on each single time you activate the car. When you can program a shortcut button on the steering wheel to take you to the menu to deactivate it, it’s nonetheless an absolute ache.
The answer within the up to date Hyundai Tucson – the place you possibly can simply maintain down a steering wheel button to show it off – is being rolled out as an OTA replace to the EV9 and different members of the Kia vary.
It’s disappointing the Air foregoes some objects discovered within the Earth and GT-Line.
We’d perceive Kia has to offer a motive to step as much as these fashions, apart from the additional energy and all-wheel drive, however the absence of a surround-view digital camera on a $97,000 car grates. The Air additionally does with out Kia’s intelligent Blind Spot View Monitor.
A surround-view digital camera, as an alternative of a easy reversing digital camera, would make the EV9 Air simpler to park. And this large bus already has an extended wheelbase working towards it in that respect. Regardless of sufficiently mild steering, the EV9 remains to be a bit awkward in a carpark.
What do you get?
The Air is the entry-level mannequin within the EV9 vary.
EV9 Air highlights:
Car to Load (V2L) inside socketBattery conditioning with warmth pumpEco, Regular, Sport and customized drive modes19-inch alloy wheels in Kumho/Nexen 255/60 R19 tyresTyre strain monitoringTyre mobility kitElectrochromic rear-view mirrorRain-sensing wipersAutomatic high-beamAutomatic LED headlightsKeyless entry and startRemote startSeven seatsLeatherette upholstery8-way power-adjustable entrance seats with 2-way energy lumbarSliding and reclining second-row seatsPower-folding second row60:40 break up/fold second-row seats50:50 break up/fold third-row seatsReclining third-row seatsHeated steering wheelHeated entrance seatsVentilated entrance seats12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment systemKia Join TelematicsSatellite navigationWired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto5.0-inch local weather screen12.3-inch digital instrument cluster8-speaker sound systemTri-zone local weather controlDAB digital radioFingerprint authenticationWireless telephone charger6 x USB-C shops (two for every row)2 x 12V shops (one up entrance, one within the boot)9 x cupholders
Is the Kia EV9 Air secure?
The Kia EV9 has a five-star security ranking from ANCAP with a 2023 date stamp.
Normal security tools throughout the vary contains:
Autonomous emergency brakingCar, pedestrian, bike owner detectionJunction turning/crossing assistDirect/oncoming lane change detectionAdaptive cruise management with cease/goBlind-spot assistLane-keep assistLane Following Help (lane centring)Freeway Drive Help 2 with Lane Change HelpRear cross-traffic helpSecure exit assistIntelligent pace restrict assistDriver consideration monitoringLeading car departure alertRear occupant alert (sensor-based)Entrance and rear parking sensorsReversing cameraDual entrance airbagsFirst- and second-row aspect airbagsFront centre airbagCurtain airbags for all three rows
How a lot does the Kia EV9 Air value to run?
CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia EV9
The Kia EV9 Air makes a fairly compelling case for itself.
It’s nowhere close to value parity with equally sized combustion-powered SUVs – even the costliest Hyundai Palisade is underneath $80,000 earlier than on-roads. In case you’re not set on going EV, then that could be a deal breaker.
Examine it to different electrical SUVs and even different EV9s, although, and it seems nice. Different three-row electrical SUVs are both a lot smaller or a lot, a lot pricier.
Whereas different EV9s add extra efficiency and options, the Air is fairly stable on each counts although we want it had a surround-view digital camera.
Sure the EV9’s third row is also bigger and its value decrease, however we got here away impressed with the way in which this drives regardless of its modest outputs.
These idea automotive seems additionally make the EV9 stand out in a great way, which ought to assist it stay in rivalry with consumers when rival manufacturers lastly enter the phase.
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